To reduce the emissions of heavy metals that are subject to long-range transboundary atmospheric transport and are likely to have adverse effects on human health and the environment.

2) COMMUNITY MEASURE

Council Decision 2001/379/EC of 4 April 2001 on the approval, on behalf of the European Community, of the Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution on Heavy Metals.

3) CONTENTS

On 24 June 1998 the Commission signed the Heavy Metals Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. This Decision approves the Protocol on behalf of the Community.

The aim of the Protocol is to reduce emissions from heavy metals caused by anthropogenic activities that are subject to long-range transboundary atmospheric transport and are likely to have serious adverse effects on human health and the environment. To this end, it stipulates the reduction of total annual emissions into the atmosphere of cadmium, lead and mercury, and the application of product control measures.

Obligations under the Protocol

The Protocol stipulates that the signatory parties must apply the best available technologies vis-à-vis all the major sources of heavy metals existing, or due to be created, on their territory. The best available technologies are described in Annex III to the Protocol.

The parties must respect the emission limit values specified in Annex V.

The signatory parties must apply regulatory measures on products, as specified in Annex VI.